Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 293 Let's solve one last case.
Chen Shu gestured for Zhu Chaoran to lock the car doors, then got out of the car and pulled the couple to the front desk of the store. He comforted them at the cashier counter, which had a computer monitor, saying he would try his best to help with the investigation, and that whether the thief was this security guard could only be determined later.

The couple repeatedly thanked the police for their help.

Chen Shu glanced at the police car parked outside when he had a spare moment.

Actually, all these actions were done for the security guards sitting in the police car outside.

After a while, he returned to his car and, in front of the security guard, pulled out the digital certificate and the couple's receipt for the phone from his jacket pocket, mocking, "I copied the store's surveillance footage. Now you have evidence, so you can obediently wait to go to jail. More than eight thousand yuan, how long will you be in jail?"

The digital certificate that police officers insert into their computers for use in their internal network work looks no different from an ordinary USB flash drive.

The security guard's lips trembled a few times, but in the end he didn't say another word.

Zhu Chaoran stepped on the gas, and the car sped towards Zhongshan Institute.

On the way, a long, crackling sound of fireworks and firecrackers suddenly came from afar.

Looking out the car window, colorful fireworks burst into bloom in the dark sky at the other end of Jiangbin Road with a series of loud "bangs".

The fireworks flashed by in an instant, but soon another one burst into bloom, one after another, until a hundred flowers were in full bloom, a truly magnificent sight.

"Some people's lives are long but mediocre; some people's lives are short but dazzling, just like the fireworks in the sky right now."

For some reason, Chen Shu suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

Back at the Zhongshan Police Station, Chen Shu arranged for Zhu Chaoran to send the security guards involved in the case to the detention room for the night. He planned to put them in cages to cool off first, and then investigate their identities and do a simple analysis later. As for other matters, he would deal with them tomorrow morning.

After dealing with these matters, it was past midnight. Chen Shu returned to the cafeteria, removed the food cover from the table, took the plate of dumplings in the middle that had gone cold, heated them up in the kitchen, and then returned to the cafeteria to sit down and eat a few bites.

Unexpectedly, Chen Shu managed to pick up the last remaining coin.

He carefully spat it out and put it into the pocket of his coat containing Hua Zi, filled with hope for the coming year.

My hope is simple: no police in the latter half of the night. That would be the best New Year's gift.

The next morning.

After a sleepless night, Chen Shu wiped his dark circles and walked towards the cafeteria with a somewhat helpless expression.

Unexpectedly, instructor Zeng Hong was already standing at the entrance of the canteen, carrying a briefcase and looking very energetic.

Hehe, this is for giving out New Year's red envelopes. Chen Shu perked up and jogged over to stand beside him.

Considering it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, a time for new beginnings, I reluctantly opened my newly bought cigarette and handed one to Professor Zeng.

"Instructor Zeng, should I call everyone together for a lecture? Then I'll give you a red envelope. Carrot and stick, classic teaching material for instructors," Chen Shu joked.

Zeng Hong laughed and criticized, "You're so unserious. I heard from Xiao Zhang that you guys didn't get any sleep last night because you were working non-stop?"

Xiao Zhang is a new dispatcher.

Chen Shu nodded: "Normal operation."

“Alright, let’s wait here. If anyone is willing to get up and have breakfast, we’ll give them a red envelope. The rest of the people will be notified via WeChat to pick it up at the front desk when they’re awake. We don’t need to force everyone to get up for these formalities.”

Chen Shu laughed and said, "Teacher Zeng, no wonder I didn't see Sister Huihui today. Are you not doing any promotion this year?"

Zeng Hong, who was about to be transferred to a government agency and retire to a less demanding role after the New Year, no longer had his usual sharp eyes; he was all smiles like a friendly old man next door.

"I'm not coming anymore, all of this is just fluff. What I really need to do is get a good night's sleep after my night shift."

As the two talked, the canteen became increasingly lively as police officers came to eat breakfast on their way to and from get off work.

Zeng Hong would hand out red envelopes to everyone he met and say "Happy New Year".

Chen Shu handed him a cigarette from the side, and the atmosphere was quite lively and cheerful.

8:30 AM, Zhongshan Institute, duty hall
This is the handover time between the two duty teams at the station, but there were too many police calls last night, and Li Chaoyang is still outside cleaning up the cases.

Chen Shu and the duty team were chatting casually in the lobby.

Complain with the younger officers about the ever-increasing workload and quotas, and talk with the older officers about the recent pay and benefits increases.

Chen Shu handed Wang Chongming a cigarette: "Brother Wang, did you have New Year's Eve dinner at home last night?"

Wang Chongming, who always openly prioritized family, chuckled and waved his right hand, which was holding a cigarette: "No, yesterday the whole family went to my mother-in-law's house for dinner. By the way, Director Chen, it's about time you settled down. Have a child soon, it's a lot of fun."

Chen Shu chimed in, "That's right. I'll ask my sister-in-law to introduce me to someone sometime. I don't ask for much; I'd be happy just to have a hot meal when I get home."

Wang Chongming laughed loudly: "You think your demands are too high? We police officers usually go home at a certain time. Don't you have any idea after all these years?"

Chen Shu said with shame, "Brother Wang, it's my fault. I've added so many cases for everyone this past year."

"Haha, Chief Chen, what are you complaining about! You're overjoyed."

"What?"

"Hehe, you've given me a generous amount of compensatory time off!"

Community police officer Lao Lei smiled and chimed in, "Chief Chen is young, but he's sensible. We all know that every time there's a police light project, you always give us the good spots and go to guard those corners yourself."

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

Chen Shu waved his hand, feeling very happy.

After Zeng Hong, the leader on duty today, came downstairs to officially hand over the duties, Chen Shu felt a sense of inexplicable loneliness as he looked at Zeng Hong's meaningful eyes.

Yes, after handing over the gun, Chen Shu had no further connection with the Zhongshan Police Station.

My heart felt empty.

Zeng Hong, an experienced man, smiled and pointed out a way forward: "Isn't there still a thief in the cage? Let's solve one last case."

Zhongshan Institute, Interrogation Room
The security guard, who had also been up all night in the detention room, sat on an iron stool, his eyes wide with terror as he followed the police officer pacing beside him.

The crisp, creaking sound of leather shoes on the wooden floor echoed in the quiet interrogation room, like tiny hammers striking the outside of his heart.

Chen Shu placed the security guard identification information form and family information form that he had found on the intranet last night on the small table on the iron stool and asked, "Wang Erniu, how are your children's grades at university?"

Early criminal investigation strategies advocated brainwashing suspects with the principle of "leniency for confession, severity for resistance." However, since the development of the internet and the public's habit of searching for information online, everyone has discovered the reality that "confession leads to a life sentence; resistance leads to leniency, and you can go home for the holidays." To a certain extent, this is true.

Therefore, the police can only keep up with the times and change their investigative approaches.

Although Chen Shu privately felt that this was rather shameless, putting pressure on criminal suspects by targeting their family members was very effective for first-time offenders who still had some sense of shame.

Wang Erniu's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He lowered his head and stared at the clearly laid-out family information sheet in front of him. His trembling body betrayed the darkness in his heart.

Having been a policeman for so many years, Chen Shu is quite good at judging people.

Wang Erniu's behavior was undoubtedly problematic, but everything requires evidence, and without evidence, it's all just talk.

For police officers who spend their days solving cases, interrogating first-time offenders is a relatively easy task.

After identifying the suspect in just a few words, the next steps are either to continue interrogating and pressuring him to break through his defenses, or to simultaneously arrange for the station's video surveillance team to observe his movements.

Under the watchful eyes of the heavens, in just over an hour, something as valuable as a mobile phone can't possibly be lost anywhere.

However, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the surveillance team is on holiday, so Chen Shu had to roll up his sleeves and do it himself.

Chen Shu walked up to Wang Erniu and tapped on the small table in front of him, looking down at him and saying, "Do you think if the video of you stealing things in the store were sent to your child's university, he would still be able to stay in school?"

The fabricated video, thanks to Chen Shu's deliberate setup last night, exerted real pressure.

These words struck a nerve, and Wang Erniu's face contorted in pain, looking like he was about to cry.

Chen Shu casually pulled out his phone, which he had temporarily confiscated the night before, and flipped through the screen at random: "My family has called several times, and I haven't answered them yet. Do you want to call them back yourself, or should I make the call?"

He then walked to the interrogation table, took out a pre-printed search warrant, placed it on the small table in front of Wang Erniu, and then took out handcuffs from his pocket and placed them on top of the warrant, saying jokingly:
"I don't know if your phone is at your house, but we still need to take the team to your house to check. Do you want to come along?"

The search warrant did not bear the official seal of the Public Security Bureau, but for a first-time offender like Wang Erniu, such details were not a problem.

However, police officers generally don't carry a search warrant when conducting searches. If physical evidence is found in a suspect's home, they'll usually just add one later in the case file.

Unlike in the United States, where search warrants are issued by the court, here search warrants are issued directly by the company itself, and a stamp is all that's needed.

"Boss, I was wrong! I was really wrong! I don't know why, my mind just suddenly went blank, like I was bewitched. Sigh!"

Wang Erniu couldn't bear the suffering and burst into tears.

Chen Shu returned to the interrogation table, sat up straight, his gaze serious, and said in a deep voice, "Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist and you will be punished severely. As long as you plead guilty and submit to the law, I will let you go home for the New Year."

After handling Wang Erniu's case involving suspected theft, Chen Shu sent Li Chaoyang a WeChat message, informing him that Wang Erniu had confessed and asking him to directly apply for bail for Wang Erniu while handling the case. He also told Li Chaoyang that if there were any communication difficulties with the legal affairs team, he could contact him.

A promise is a promise.

If you promised him, you have to let him go home for the Chinese New Year.

Chen Shu stood in the corridor of the investigation area, leaning against the window, and let out a long sigh. He pulled out a Liqun cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and enjoyed a moment of peace.

"Ding dong."

Chen Shu took out his phone and glanced at it; it was a reply from Li Chaoyang.

"Thank you for your help, senior! Don't worry, I have a great relationship with the legal experts now, so I won't bother you!"

Wang Erniu committed the crime yesterday while Li Chaoyang was on duty, and according to regulations, this case should be handled by Li Chaoyang. As the station leader who doesn't usually handle cases, Chen Shu's intervention this time was indeed a help to Li Chaoyang.

After stubbing out his cigarette on the window frame, Chen Shu, having nothing better to do, started wandering around the office.

According to the notice he received at the end of the year, he had to report to the special police brigade of the branch office on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year after the holiday.

The deputy captain of the special police brigade is half a rank higher than the grid police chief of Zhongshan Police Station, who is currently acting as the deputy director. However, the platform of this unit is not very good.

For example, the slowest promotion path in the public security, procuratorate, court, and government departments is unimaginably slow, and the special police are almost at the bottom of the public security system. The most vivid way to get promoted is to patrol as a special police officer for a few years, and then transfer to another department to start from scratch.

Furthermore, the full name of the Special Police Brigade is the Special Patrol Police Brigade. For the Zhengming District Public Security Bureau, the only role of the Special Police is patrolling.

Imagine if the main function of a unit is just to patrol the streets. Even if you patrol 24 hours a day, what merits or achievements can you make?
However, Chen Shu, who had spent a year in the city's special police detachment after graduation, didn't care too much. He even missed the special police place a little.

Well, taking a few years off is not a bad choice.

With relaxed steps, Chen Shu toured the entire Zhongshan Police Station.

The office includes the deputy director's office, the instructor's office, the reception room, the public security office, the meeting room, the detention room, the duty hall, and the canteen.

Over the past eight years, from the initial anxiety of reporting to work here, he has come to regard this place as his second home. Every place in the institute is so clear and real in Chen Shu's memory.

Whenever Chen Shu met a colleague in a new place, he would take out a cigarette and offer it to them, chat for a few minutes about family and work, and pat them on the shoulder before parting, giving them a good look.

After going around in circles, it was already noon.

Chen Shu ran to the fruit shop next door and bought a bag of imported fruit. When he entered the cafeteria, he insisted on giving it to the cafeteria auntie who had given him so many extra dishes over the years.

Seeing his aunt's radiant face, Chen Shu was genuinely happy.

After finishing lunch and returning to the office, Chen Shu slowly packed up his personal belongings. While everyone was taking a nap, he carried a large cardboard box and headed out.

When he reached the dormitory door, he put down the cardboard box, gently pushed the door open, and walked in. The four-person dormitory was empty; Zhu Chaoran must have gone home after finishing his morning shift.

Chen Shu took out two packs of cigarettes he had prepared and placed them under Zhu Chaoran's pillow. Then he found the civil service exam materials that had been lying in the corner, patted the covers to shake off the dust, and placed them neatly on the table.

Over the past year, the fat man has suffered a lot alongside him, with overtime and all-nighters being commonplace. He might complain, but deep down he still threw himself into his work without hesitation.

As I passed the gate of the compound, I felt a little reluctant to leave. I put down the cardboard box, lit a cigarette, and stood on the steps, taking a few lingering puffs.

Perhaps moved by something, Chen Shu turned around and looked towards the instructor's office on the third floor, where he saw a figure standing by the window.

Chen Shu smiled and waved, then turned around, stubbed out his cigarette, and left with a smile.

Goodbye, his youth.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, so I need to go home early to wish my parents a Happy New Year!

(End of this chapter)